Stuff I Learned Yesterday
About Stuff I Learned Yesterday
Stuff I Learned Yesterday is a podcast that aims to encourage, inspire, challenge, motivate, and improve the lives of those who listen to it. Stuff I Learned Yesterday is released each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Each episode ranges from 5-15 minutes long and contain short stories based on real events and lessons learned by the hosts. Friday episodes are called the Friday Forum and are filled with inspirational and motivational thoughts submitted by Stuff I Learned Yesterday listeners. Submit your story for a Friday Forum episode by calling 304-837-2278, visiting our feedback page, or click on the Send a Voice Message button on the left hand side of this page.
209- Party Like It’s 1999
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:01 — 3.0MB) | Embed
When I was about 12 I got the best invitation in the mail. I opened up the envelope and confetti and glitter popped out! I had been invited to a birthday party on New Year’s Eve! I was elated. Nothing sounded better than the promise of shenanigans, pot banging, dancing and loud celebrations into the wee hours of the morning with friends. There was all kinds of fun promised and I was pretty happy my mom agreed to let my younger sister and I both go! Read More…
208- Standing My Ground
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:01 — 7.0MB) | Embed
Standing up for what you believe in isn’t always easy. In fact it can be downright terrifying sometimes. Drinking and driving wasn’t talked about much back then but we still knew of the consequences.
207- How To Reach Your Dreams
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:37 — 7.3MB) | Embed
I like goals because it gives me a target. When I have a target, I can aim. I’m this way with a lot of things. In fact, sometimes I’ll sit down to start a new project and not know where to begin. I don’t know where to begin because I’m not sure where I’m going. If I can set up the place where I want to end up, I find it easier to begin. In a way I suppose it’s like working a maze from the end point to the starting point.
I also like setting goals because it forces me to think things through before I leap. That is, I don’t just set arbitrary goals, I set goals that I believe will be true measurements of success. I set goals that will help keep me focused on where I want to be in the long term. So I not only set a goal that is an ultimate achievement, I set goals that can serve as checkpoints or measuring points along the way. Read More…
206- Looking Back to Look Ahead
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:21 — 8.3MB) | Embed
So here we are at the end of 2014. Your Facebook timeline has been filling up with those automated Year-in-Review slideshows, websites are taking a look back at the the best and worst of 2014, entertainment media is looking back at those who passed away in 2014, and I’m sure we can all name several other things that are designed to offer a look back at the year we’ve all just experienced.
I’ve been doing this podcast for just over 9 months now and I’ve done a few milestone types of episodes along the way. So it should come as no surprise that I like looking back at things. Today I’m going to take a look back at 2014, tell you why I find value in looking back, and use the information I gather to chart my course for 2015. Read More…
205- Friday Forum
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:34 — 8.4MB) | Embed
Today is the Friday Forum!! In today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday I share a contribution from Barb. You can participate in Friday Forum by visiting our Feedback Page Read More…
204- Christmas Detectives
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:50 — 6.9MB) | Embed
When I was young, my sister and I would get so excited about Christmas. We would think about it for weeks on end and look forward to its arrival as we counted down the final days leading up to Christmas day. We would tear through the house at the crack of dawn Christmas morning; my parents were lucky to convince us to hold off until 6:00am. We would usually burst into our living room to examine the tree and gifts, hunting for our names on the tags and the traces of soot and ash boot prints that Santa left for us. We’d also examine the cookies and carrots we left out the night before to make sure that Santa had his fill and that the reindeer were full and happy as well. Once we had checked these boxes, my younger sister and I would dash back into my parents bedroom, to pounce on them as they rested bleary eyed and exhausted from a long night of wrapping and taking care of the aforementioned evidence of Santa’s visit to our home. Read More…
203- Christmas Miracle
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:02 — 5.8MB) | Embed
I think that was the first time I ever saw an adult cry, even though they were tears of joy. I remember standing there next to by brother holding boxes while my mom and dad rang on door bells and explained to the families, that we, complete strangers, were giving them all this excess food we had. Some of them broke down in tears as they took the boxes and hugged each of us, saying it was a Christmas Miracle. Every one of them invited us in but my dad kindly refused, saying we had to move on to another house.
202- Are Those Bugle Boy Jeans?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:58 — 6.4MB) | Embed
Winter break came around and my brothers and I had some time on our hands. One day we decided that each of us would choose one of our gifts from under the Christmas tree and open it. We would be very careful, sneek open the box, take a peek inside, and then seal it back up. Our parents would never even know. Since we were all in it together, there was no risk at one of us ratting out one of the others. It was collusion at its finest!
I picked a box that was a couple of inches thick, about 10 inches wide, and about 15 inches long. I carefully sliced open the tape and slid the box from the wrapper. I popped the box open and did the dance of joy. Inside that box was my future, my pathway to coolness. Inside that box was a pair of Bugle Boy jeans. In fact, all three of us got Bugle Boy jeans for Christmas that year. Read More…
201- Cataloging Christmas
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 10:09 — 6.5MB) | Embed
Christmas as a child and Christmas as an adult are totally different. As a child I had no responsibilities except to show up, read package tags, shred paper, navigate through all the carefully placed tape, and say thank you to the appropriate person. It was a pretty sweet deal. What made it sweeter was even if I failed at all of those things, I would still walk away with the same stuff. Christmas as a kid was awesome.
Once I got to the age where I had a job, I had to start actually paying for the gifts that I was giving and I could no longer depend on my dad to do it. Man, growing up stinks! Not only that, the older I’ve gotten, the less stuff I get every year. Does that mean I’m getting closer and closer to being on the naughty list? Read More…
200- Friday Forum
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:41 — 8.5MB) | Embed
Today is the Friday Forum!! In today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday I share a contribution from Bonita. You can participate in Friday Forum by visiting our Feedback Page Read More…